Always good fitting shiny bits

saitrix

saitrix

saitrix

Soldato
Joined
2 Jun 2003
Posts
8,950
Location
Nottingham
Well my Dolomite has been leaking coolant for a while now, suddenly it has got faster so decided it was time for a new radiator. Plus at the same time the clutch master cylinder decided to leak fluid so I was having to top up with fluid ever so often.

First job was taking the bonnet off, which I found to be amazingly easy to do. Then onto the radiator, it looked so rusted, no wonder it was leaking! Wasn’t too bad, only had to take off the horns before it would lift out.

bonnet.JPG


Then onto the clutch master cylinder. Realised I best take the airbox off to give me more room to work with. So that meant the battery had to come out, then I could get the airbox away from the carbs.

DSC01022%20(Medium).JPG


Few bolts later, with some plusgas to get those old rusted unions off, here is my master cylinder in bits ready for a clean inside. Looks original there so no surprised the rubber has let go. I just cleaned it through and put on the new rubbers, seals much better now.

DSC01034%20(Medium).JPG


Onto the next day now and got a call, less than 24 hours from being dropped off, that my radiator was ready to be picked up. So shot down and picked it up. Impressed with what I got back, was only £80 as well with a 1 year warrenty.

DSC00011%20(Medium).JPG
 
Last edited:
For some reason I decided to fit the master cylinder first which went on easy enough into place. So then it was onto putting the radiator back in, was a bit tight really to fit it back in. When back in it certainly looked much much better than the old rusty thing. Should cool my car better really.

DSC00023%20(Medium).JPG


So there we go, after that I did boring things like fill the radiator with coolant and bleed my clutch. Overall it wasn’t too bad, but my horns now don’t work. :D Think I have a dodgey earth now, will have to have a test. Oh and one last pic, Mum came home with paint all over her tyre after driving over wet paint! Had to clean it off her paintwork and its covered all of her arch. Any ideas for getting paint off rubber?

DSC01057%20(Medium).JPG
 
Its always good having little threads like this - how do you find the car to work on? Is it a lot of maintenance keeping a car of this age on the road?
 
Where did you get your rad done? Mine has sprung a leak this week, tried to solder it up last night but it's not sealed it up completely :(
 
Good stuff! Looks like a really easy car to work on

Do you find it tricky working on your car on the street with cars going past and everything? Dunno what i'm going to do when i move house and don't have a driveway anymore
 
Qeffects said:
Good stuff! Looks like a really easy car to work on

Do you find it tricky working on your car on the street with cars going past and everything? Dunno what i'm going to do when i move house and don't have a driveway anymore
Click to expand...

Only time it was a problem was when my legs were hanging out of the drivers door working on the pin that holds the master to the clutch pedal. Other than that its no problems, just have to be aware.

Jonny69, Local tiny garage that does radiators for cars, ships, vintage to new. Excellent service if I say so myself. Mega happy with the work, plus was only a 10min drive from my house. Much cheaper than using Rimmers.

AthlonTom, Well you will find more things wear out than a modern car due to the sheer age, for example a lot of the rubbers will be perished which is exactly what did my clutch. You have to get a classic with knowing you WILL have to fix it from time to time. I use mine daily though so takes more wear, plus I don't drive the slowest. It is so easy to work on really, can get to things easy enough in the engine bay. Main thing is to get a Haynes and a workshop manual made by the car manufacturer. That helps you out so much what to do, plus join a good forum for your car as there will be guys with lots of handy tips and lots of parts if needed. Any questions just ask me, or add me to MSN. It has cost me more than my Focus did, it has let me down more than my Focus did, but would I swap back to a Focus. Not a chance.
 
lol, other than drive it off I have no idea.

Solvents + Rubber = Bad, usually. You just have to find a solvent for the paint, which won't hurt the rubber on a tyre, petrol maybe?
 
BigglesPiP said:
lol, other than drive it off I have no idea.

Solvents + Rubber = Bad, usually. You just have to find a solvent for the paint, which won't hurt the rubber on a tyre, petrol maybe?
Click to expand...

Convenient. We could have collected it in a bucket when saitrix started his car after the radiator change. I was there with him when he did the work and we must have disturbed a fuel line, it wee'd out all over the road:o
 
Matthew.M said:
Convenient. We could have collected it in a bucket when saitrix started his car after the radiator change. I was there with him when he did the work and we must have disturbed a fuel line, it wee'd out all over the road:o
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, forgot that one. :p It did a little bit! Probably lost a litre in a few second, damn. So that bit under my car now has oil, brake fluid, fuel and coolant on it... whoops.
 
Might work, White Spirit seaps into rubber over time and makes it swell up, as long as your quick...

But what kind of paint is it? Enamel requites Turpentine. Tarmac is dissolved by White Spirit, so maybe the stuff they paint roads with is?
 
Not sure what type of paint it is. Was in the road and she drove through it. Which then meant it got paint everywhere in the wheelarch and up the side!

Not too keen on using white spirit as I don't want to soften the tyre at all, it would be ok when my Mum drives it but when my Dad does it is pushed harder. For some reason they don't let me drive it. :p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom